Running-gear.



. No. 791,557. PATENTED JUNE 6, 1 905.

JQ HERBY. RUNNING GEAR) N APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

@Wikmwwo PATENTED JUNE 6, 1905'. J. HERBYL N RUNNING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented June 6, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HERBY, OF JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK.

RUNNING-GEAR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No."791,557, datedJune 6, 1905.

Application filed August 29, 1904. Serial No. 222,638.

T at whom, it mag concern: Be it known that I, JOHN HERBY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jamestown,

. in the county of Chautauqua and State of I any usual or desired manner.

New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Running-Gear, of which the following is a specification.

The invention consists, first, of the employment of a double truss-rod in connection with each side bar of the gear; second, of the provision of an adjustable hanger ada ted for springs of different widths, and, t 'rd, the provision of elongated holes in the rear shoe of the gear for the adjustment of different widths of springs.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a running-gear embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate modified forms of running-gear to which my improvements are applicable. Fig. 5 is a modified form of adjustable hanger. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of one of the hangers. Fig. 7 is a detail showing the rear shoe and its attached spring.

In the said drawings, Figs. 1 and 2, A designates the pole-receiving crotch-piece, to which the splinter-beam B is connected in The splinterbeam shown consists of two parallel bars a 1), between which the crotchiece passes. I To the opposite end portions 0 the upper bar of the splinter-beam are bolted or otherwise rigidly fixed the plates or castings (Leach having a rearwardly-extending arm 0, and from the lower bar I) of the said beam. project the rearwardly-extending arms I), the said arms a and b converging toward the rear. Between the arms I) and c the front ends of the side bars D of the gear are bolted or appropriately secured, these. bars converging rearwardly, passing between the upper and lower cross-bars E, as usual, and having their rear ends fitting sockets in the under side of the casting or rear shoe F and being secured thereto by bolts, as shown. top of this shoe extends over the rear ends of the side bars and also over the rear end of the crotch-piece, and at the rear side edges the shoe is provided with laterally-extending perforated ears or lugsf. The plates or castings O on the upper side of the splinter-beam are shown as provided with upwardlyrojecting lugs g, but which, if desired and w en the beam is made wholiy ol metal, may be an integral part ofthe beam, said lugs adapted for substantially a hook-like engagement with the bights or folded portions of the double truss-rods G. There isone of these rods in connection with each side bar of the gear,

and the members of this double truss-rod are carried rearward and downward, one on each side of each side bar, and after passing beneath the lower of the cross-bars E are carried u ward and pass along the opposite sides of the outer socket in the rear shoe, the

end of one of the truss-rod members passing The throu h the vertical rearwallf of the shoe,

and t e end of the other member of said truss-rod passing through the perforation in the ear or lug f, and both members being secured by nuts f, whereby the truss-rods may be securely held in ,place and tightened to obtain the desired rigidity of the parts and the strengthening of the side bars of the ear.

My second feature of improvement re ates to the provision I have made for an adjust-' able hanger, which enables me to provide a hanger capable of use in connection with springs of different widths. Ordinarily in this class of vehicles and in all others, as far as I know, the spring-hangers are made solid, and a special size of hanger is required for substantially each width of spring. Therefore a dealer in running-gear is required to keep in stock a number of hangers of different sizes to fit the several widths of springs.

By my invention the dealer is permitted to carry a much smaller stock, because my hanger is adjustable to receive springs of greatly-differing widths, and no speciallymade hanger is necessary for the width of spring ordered; My adjustable hanger may be made in various ways, one method being shown in Figs. 1 and 2, Where the bottom bar of the splinter-beam is formed or provided with a downwardly-extending ear or lug h, which forms one member of the hanger. The second member of the hanger is formed by the downturned lug or ear h of a plate or bar H, fitted against the under side of the splinter-beam and provided with slots h, through which the bolts 71/ pass, whereby said plate or bar H is slidable relative to the beam, and the distance between the ears or lugs h h of the two parts of the hanger is increased or diminished to admit the usual eye of the spring, and which eye is engaged by the bolt I in the usual manner. By the means described I am enabled to provide a hanger which is capable of receiving springs of different widths by simply adjusting one part of the hanger relative to the other. This is of great advantage to both the manufacturer and consumer. Afurther advantage of my hanger would be, in case of a broken spring, that any other width of spring might be promptly substituted, which is desirable, because except in a large city the exact size of the broken s ring might not be obtainable.

Instead 0 having one part of the hanger fixed and the other part adjustable relative thereto both parts might be slotted and adjustable, as shown at J J in Fig. 5, without departing from the spirit of my invention. I also desire it understood that this hanger is applicable to any and all forms of spring running-gear, and therefore its use is not restricted to any particular type of gear.

My third feature of improvement resides in forming in the rear shoe F elongated slots or openings F, whereby in this part of the gear provision is also made for the use of springs of different widths to correspond with the adjustment at the front. Each running-gear made with this part of my invention will have a block or bar 10 of sufficient width to fit the widest spring which can be satisfactorily used, and by reducing the width of this block narrower springs may be used and secured by simply shifting or sliding the bolts 12 in the slots F of the shoe to cause these bolts to fit the springs, as shown in Fig. 7. The gear is also provided with. the usual fifth-wheel W and such other accessories as are usual.

In Fig. 3 I illustrate another form of running-gear, where the double truss-rod G embraces each side bar and its bight passes over a lug Z, while in Fig. 4 there is disclosed a still further form of gear, where the double truss-rod G is associated with each side bar and has its bight engaging a lug m. In both these latter instances the ends of the members of the truss-rods are secured in the splinter-beam and the folded portions of {the bars are at the rear.

In each instance disclosed the truss-rod draws from the extreme ends of the gear, thereby making said gear as stron as possible. Each form of gear will also )IHLVB the adjustable hanger feature before described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An improved running-gear having in combination a splinter-beam, the converging side bars, a shoe at the rear of the side bars, a double truss-rod for each of the side bars said rods folded upon themselves and each having its members extending along the opposite sides of, and proximate to, its respective side bar, lugs on the upper forward portion of the gear one of which lugs engages the bight of each folded truss-rod, said shoe having perforations for the members of each truss-rod, and means by which said mcmbers are secured to the shoe. I

2. In a running-gear, the combination with the side bars and a splinter-beam at the front ends thereof said bars converging rearwardly, of a plate or casting at the end of the splinter-beam and havin an upwardly-rising lug, a double truss-rod folded upon itself and having its bight engaged by said lug, and a shoe at the rearend of the gear, fitted to said side bars, said shoe having a perforated rear wall and laterally-projecting perforated lugs adapted to receive the free ends of the double truss-rod, and nuts engaging the ends of said rod and thereby securing the same to the shoe.

3. In runnin -gear, a sprin ing rigid parallel ears adj ustabIe one relative to the ot or to accommodate springs of different widths.

4. In running-gear, the combination with a beam, of a spring-hanger comprising ri id ears or lug's on the beam and between which the eye of the spring is received one of said ears or lugs separate from the other and adjustable toward and from the latter whereby springs of different width may be accommodated.

5. In a running-gear the combination with a splinter-beam having a lower member with rigid downwardly-extending lugs or cars, plates or bars fitted to the under side of said member and having downturned lugs or cars opposing the first-named lu s or ears,

hanger havsaid plates or bars provided with slbts whereby they may be adjusted to increase or decrease the width of the space between opposing lugs or ears, and a bolt(passing through In testimony whereof I'have hereunto set each pair of lugs or ears an adapted to remy hand in presence of two subscribing witceive the eye of a spring. nesses.

6. A running-gear having a rear shoe fixed JOHN HERBY. v 5 thereto said shoe having elongated slots Witnesses:

whereby springs of different widths may be EDWARD LEONARD STAFFORD, accommodated. CLARENCE S. HALE. 

